DRI Scientist John Hallett Receives 1998 Nevada Board of Regents' Researcher Award

Dr. John Hallett, a senior researcher who has been with the Desert Research Institute for more than 30 years, received the University and Community College System of Nevada's 1998 Board of Regents' Researcher Award. Hallett is the first DRI faculty member to win the award.

An atmospheric physicist with a broad range of scientific interests, Hallett's research has earned him an international reputation. He was also instrumental in the development of the highly acclaimed atmospheric sciences graduate program at the University of Nevada, Reno, which he directed for 10 years until 1995. Hallett's prolific scientific record has generated millions of dollars in research funding over the years and resulted in an impressive list of nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.

Dr. Jill Derby, chair of the Board of Regents, commended Hallett for his "outstanding contributions to the field of atmospheric science and to the Desert Research Institute;" and she called his accomplishments "a source of pride to the board and the state of Nevada." Hallett, who holds the Edgar J. Marston Professorship of Atmospheric Physics in DRI's Atmospheric Sciences Center (ASC), is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and received the Dandini Medal of Science--DRI's annual award for its top researcher--in 1995.

Dr. Peter Barber, executive director of ASC, described Hallett's groundbreaking work on the role of ice crystals in the atmosphere as his most significant research. The high-level cirrus clouds that are formed by these ice crystals cover much of the planet and play an important role in determining the Earth's energy balance by absorbing visible light from the Sun as well as infrared radiation from the Earth. "This increased understanding of the factors affecting the Earth's energy balance is critical to improving scientific knowledge of global climate change processes," Barber said.

Hallett's first investigation of atmospheric ice crystals took place as part of his graduate research at Imperial College, University of London, with his graduate advisor, Sir John Mason. Later, Hallett and Australian colleague, S.C. Mossop, developed a concept of secondary ice production in the atmosphere, now called the Hallett-Mossop Process. This work was published in both Nature and Science.

More recently, Hallett has investigated the electrification that occurs in cumulus clouds associated with thunderstorms and hurricanes, a further unlocking of the role of ice in the atmosphere. One by-product has been the development of a new understanding of hurricane cloud physics and dynamics, developed in cooperation with the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hallett's basic philosophy has been to use laboratory studies to discover specific atmospheric processes that require investigation via field experiments. He has conceived and developed a wide variety of specialized instruments for field investigations. These custom instruments are now being used by researchers in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom as well as by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Regents Appoint Barber as DRI Interim President

The Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada has appointed Dr. Peter Barber as interim president of the Desert Research Institute. Currently executive director of DRI's Atmospheric Sciences Center, Barber's appointment will be for a period of one year or until the successful completion of the Board's ongoing search to find a permanent successor to President James V. Taranik.

"Dr. Barber has the experience of administration at DRI and the confidence of the institution and the Board to help lead DRI through this period of transition," said Dr. Jill Derby, Board chair.

Taranik noted, "It was one of my great pleasures to have hired Dr. Barber to direct the Atmospheric Sciences Center, and he has done a superior job in reorganizing and leading the center's strategic planning. His selection to serve as interim president is a testimony to his excellent management skills and effectiveness in working with DRI's faculty. I'm confident he will serve the Regents and the System well in this interim assignment."

Prior to joining DRI in 1993, Barber held faculty positions at Clarkson University and the University of Utah. Dr. Barber earned a B.S.E.E. from Washington State University and a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Engineering from UCLA.

DRI Scientist Appointed to Polar Research Board

Dr. Robert Wharton, research professor and vice president for research at DRI, has been appointed to the National Research Council's Polar Research Board. The board provides oversight and guidance for federal programs involving U.S. scientists engaged in research in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

The board also represents U.S. interests on international polar research issues and acts as an information clearinghouse for the polar science community. Some of the key issues facing the board include the role of polar regions in global climate change, human impacts in polar regions, and rebuilding the U.S. research base at the South Pole. Wharton, a veteran of eleven Antarctic research expeditions, will serve on the board through December 2000.

Wharton has established an international reputation for his studies of cold desert environments in polar regions, particularly for his research of perennially ice-covered lakes in Antarctica. He developed and directed the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research project for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the last five years. That program, featured in a public television episode of Nova, included the discovery of unexpectedly robust communities of algae and microorganisms on the bottom of Antarctic lakes permanently capped by 15 feet of ice.

Wharton has also developed and led NASA/NSF supported studies of Arctic and Antarctic environments as possible Earth-based models of early Martian environments. He developed and led a joint NASA/NSF supported project to test technologies relevant to the exploration of cold deserts on Mars.

Wharton is a recipient of the Antarctic Service Medal and has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Geographical Society, and The Explorers Club.

UNR Grad Student Receives 1997 Warden Memorial Award

The Desert Research Institute awarded the 1997 Colin Warden Memorial Award to Flora Gofa, a graduate research assistant in the Institute's Energy and Environmental Engineering Center. The annual award was established by the family and friends of Colin Warden after his death in 1991 to commemorate Warden's long-standing commitment to protecting the environment.

The award is given to a UNR or UNLV graduate student who is working under the direction of a DRI faculty member. Applicants submit papers based on research related to an environmental problem. Gofa's winning paper, "Changes in On-Road Emissions in the Los Angeles Van Nuys Tunnel: 1987 to 1995," addressed air quality issues. She is pursuing an M.S. degree in the Atmospheric Sciences program at UNR.

NNREC Sponsors Desert Research Institute Science Box

The Nevada Natural Resource Education Council (NNREC) is sponsoring a DRI "Science Box" designed to give hands-on instruction about the Mojave Desert. The Council has underwritten participation by one teacher in the summer Science Box Workshop designed to develop instructional materials and teaching guides that will be available to K-12 teachers throughout Nevada.

The Nevada National Resource Education Council is a statewide, not-for-profit organization whose goal is to develop and promote natural resources education in Nevada. Membership includes a diversity of individuals, organization, and agencies.

Career Day Winner

Each year, DRI participates in Career Day in Las Vegas, a program that gives high school students the opportunity to go on-site and learn firsthand about career opportunities. This year, DRI hosted four students. One of them, Kristina Fetters, wrote about her experience at DRI and won the Career Day essay contest along with the first place scholarship award of $1,000!